Jacqui Oatley's unpaid start to her sports journalism career

The Wolverhampton-born journalist is one of the most successful broadcasters out there, having worked across an array of sports for ITV, BBC and Sky.

She is perhaps best known for her work in football, however, and the beautiful game is what first enticed the 45-year-old.

“I had a couple days work experience at a sports news agency and I went to a couple of press conferences and I was like ‘Oh my goodness this is for me’,” she said on The Game Changers podcast.

“I put my hand up and asked Glenn Hoddle a question and the answer made it into the Daily Mail the next day and I thought this is a bug, I would like to ask football people questions, this is great.

“So I gave up my job one day because I thought, ‘well, I can’t get the work experience I need while being in another job’.

“I handed the notice on my flat and I rang around a few friends and said ‘look this is a decision I’ve decided to make, I really want to make a go of changing career, but I need to find a way in somehow, can I please stay on your floor for a week?’

“And so I just took a duvet in a carrier bag with a pillow and a little backpack around London to whoever was kind enough to let me stay on their floor and I just did as much work experience, unpaid, as I could.”

That relentless tenacity paid dividends for Oatley as she rose through the ranks of local radio before moving on to BBC Radio 5 Live.

Having covered several high-profile sporting events, Oatley became the first woman to commentate on a game for BBC’s Match of the Day in 2007 and she is the current host of Sky’s Sunday Supplement – the first woman to do so.

Several women now occupy huge roles in the national media but for Oatley, the ‘supply line’ at regional level needs addressing.

“Growing up there was no inspiration in terms of working in football media or sports media female presenters,” she added.

“I didn’t see women going into journalism – I never really thought about a career in it.

“It was extremely male dominated and certainly in local radio.

“I think it still is really, I’m not too sure why, but I don’t see too many women in the local radio press box or even local newspapers.

“So nationally broadcast wise, yes, there are a lot more women now on TV and on the radio which is absolutely brilliant, but I do worry little bit about the supply line because really that’s where you need to get your experience, where there’s less pressure in a regional print media and broadcast environment and you could learn from people and kick on.”

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